The Problem of Evil

This is a mind map one of the members of the atheist group on my campus created describing the problem of evil. I just thought it was interesting; thought I'd share it. It's one of the most in-depth evaluations of its type that I've seen. Enjoy.

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I like to see posts tagged appropriately, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. :P

That pdf you posted is fascinating; I'll definitely pass that along, it was quite a read. The Problem of Evil has been a hot topic in the campus Freethought group for a while now, it should go over well.

Steven Maitzen cannot hold the view that God is omnipotent, omniscient and purely benevolent. If he does then his claim is logically invalid.

"god allows suffering to exist because suffering is a necessary consequence of a higher good; if god were to refuse suffering to exist then there wouldn't be this higher good."

If God were omnipotent, then he could bring about any final result (in this case the higher good) without being constrained by necessities. If something is necessary it logically implies that there is a constraint. If something is necessary, it is forced, and nothing can be forced upon an omnipotent being. If there is a constraint, then there is no omnipotence.

Its amazing the depths to which even professional philosophers can stoop in the defence of religion. I haven't read his stuff, so it could be the case that he does not make assumptions concerning omnipotence. If this is the case, my bad.

Perhaps a briefer statement could have been: if God's will (higher good) is conditional upon something, then he is restricted and is not omnipotent.

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7, KJV)

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? (Amos 3:6, KJV)

There is sin and evil in the world because two beings that knew nothing of good or evil, right or wrong made a choice that your god gave them no way to understand there was a right or wrong choice. At this point we get original sin that you are born with and we are told you can't make the right choice but you have "free will".

Is you must believe in Jesus or burn in hell for ever is free will or just a jaded game that is called"Free Will"?

and anyway, why couldn't god have given us free will but created us in such a way as to make so that we always freely choose good?

@ Nelson - Because there is no god lol.

A Christian is not going to be able to come to terms with this fact just because something does not make sense. Most Christians don't place value on making sense when it comes to the behavior of their god, and feel comfortable with that, unless or until something happens that; a) makes them feel free enough from fear to allow doubt, and b) enables them to understand the concept of cognitive bias and the basics of statistical probabilities.